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Point seen about the drive. I've got a WM practically in my backyard, but it's lousy when it comes to toys, and I know for a fact they've got a few scalpers working there. So, to even get to a decent WM, I'm in the neighborhood of the other stores (and Targets seem to be more common in the cities than WM's around here for some reason).

Supposedly, the Wolf Hound is a completely new mold, and there are several minor details that aren't on the original, but the driver can't fit in the cab properly, and even two troopers on the back look too crowded.

I've got Beach Heads, Snow Jobs, and Fireflies out the wazoo; I'm at the point where they're becoming custom fodder. (My ROC Snow Job is already destined for an appointment with some paint to become Frostbite.) But these figures look really nice, and I'd get them if I didn't have plenty already. (I could see myself getting Firefly for that weird helmet eventually.) Snake Eyes looks like a vast improvement over most Snake Eyes; I think only the ROC Paris Pursuit Snake Eyes is really comparable. I already praised Storm Shadow (though I think of him as a separate ninja). Cobra Commander looks like the ROC mold with a new head; it looks sweet, but I didn't want to drop $10 on him (which I might regret) but will definitely get him at $7 or less, to be some weirdo background Cobra. (The ROC Cobra Commander mold is one of the best in the line's history, no joke.) Alley Viper looks like a straight-up repaint of the orange version from the Defense of Cobra Island set. Only Duke looks like a step backwards.

I've got to say one other thing right now: the Doom Cycle is sweet. The goofier features (pop-out blades) are easily concealed, and it makes an awesome Dreadnok cycle. Truth be told, if POC goes on clearance, I will army-build this, and switch the heads from Storm Rider with other figures to make a nice little gang of background 'Noks.

BTW, unrelated to POC, and probably far in advance, but I want a jump on things: if anyone sees the two Resolute sets on sale at Ross for less than $20 (and, mark my words, those sets will be at Ross for less than $20), and I haven't already reported finding them, I want one of each. I just don't think they're worth the online exclusive price for the few new figures.

And, doubtful but I'll ask anyway, if anyone doesn't want the Resolute Alley Viper from the Cobra set, I'll gladly take any off said person's hands. (I've got a feeling Alley Viper will be the draw of the set, though.)

Okay, I will say that I really don't like these action stands at all. The logo is sculpted too high which requires the figures to stand on the balls of their feet with nothing to support their heels. Which creates problems for figures with heavy backpacks, like Snow Job. Are there any plain, flat, double-pegged action stands that will work for these figures?

"To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence… When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis

Finally saw that Ghost Hawk at TRU yesterday. How lazy are they that they covered over all but 1 of the windows? All they had to do was NOT paint over them! It looks more fun than the original, but no way I'm spending $18 for something that lazy.

This line is frustrating, the Hiss looks kinda cool but Chux says no. The Rage, one of my all-time favorites, is coming out but all it has new is new wheels. The Snow Cat is out, but hasn't changed enough. Figures spanning $7 to $10.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

Finally saw that Ghost Hawk at TRU yesterday. How lazy are they that they covered over all but 1 of the windows? All they had to do was NOT paint over them! It looks more fun than the original, but no way I'm spending $18 for something that lazy.

This line is frustrating, the Hiss looks kinda cool but Chux says no. The Rage, one of my all-time favorites, is coming out but all it has new is new wheels. The Snow Cat is out, but hasn't changed enough. Figures spanning $7 to $10.

It seems to me that Hasbro has no idea what to do with the GI Joe license right now. Do they cater to the adult collectors who have been around since the 1980s or do they cater to the fans of the movie...... (I'm sorry, I'm having trouble typing "fans of the movie" with a straight face)

Whatever happened to the plans for more Resolute type cartoons?

"To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence… When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up." - C.S. Lewis

Renegades launches in October with the Hub Network. It's not Resolute, and is aimed at kids, but they've said it pulls no punches and has writers with credentials including Batman: The Animated Series.

Stupid thing is, for both this and Transformers: Prime (launching at the same time), they have no plans for toys! Hasbro buys a TV network, uses it to show old and new Joe and TF cartoons, and isn't going to take advantage in the toy aisles? Stupid.

"Daddy, I really wanted Snake Eyes from that cool new cartoon, but all I see is this completely unrelated Snake Eyes figure instead."

Hasbro really doesn't have a direction for GI Joe, and that's part of why it's floundering. The problem is they're not interested in engaging audiences with a narrative the audiences can get behind, because they themselves don't know what the brand is saying. So the only thing they know how to do right now is look backwards and try to spin it modern. And they keep pushing vehicles that are making their own money back, which leads to higher pricepoints and smaller vehicles, but GI Joe is a line where vehicles used to sell oodles of figures, so this newer business model is a closed loop, a downward spiral.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

It would probably help if anyone who got every unique figure (or at least every character) didn't wind up with armies of Duke, Cobra Commander, Destro, Snake Eyes, Storm Shadow, Firefly, and, for some bizarre reason I can't figure out, Grand Slam, Wild Bill, Copperhead, and Scrap-Iron.

The problem is that, without the strong entertainment support of the cartoon to carry the narrative across to the key audience, Hasbro has to fall back on names and ideas that the casual consumers are somewhat familiar with - Duke, Snake Eyes, Destro, Storm Shadow, Firefly, Cobra Commander (and then they reinvent him so he's unrecognizable, but that's a different facet to this discussion). The idea that these armies of characters are unique and varied and each important is what SHOULD be driving it, but without strong narrative to carry them across, it's a smattering of an army behind some main characters.

As for Grand Slam, Wild Bill, Copperhead, and Scrap-Iron, I think that's just a case of using "characters" for pilots rather than nameless grunts. There's only been 7 or 8 of each over the years, except Wild Bill who there's been 15 because he's a fairly recognizable chap.

Darth Vader is becoming the Mickey Mouse of Star Wars.

"In Brooklyn, a castle, is where dwell I"

The use of a lightsaber does not make one a Jedi, it is the ability to not use it.

Three Grand Slams in as many years, all store exclusives, and all based on the same sculpt. Three Copperheads in two years. Scrap-Iron, yeesh, I can think of at least four, and think I passed on one or two.

Found some more figures at Target today. Curiously, there was one each of Duke, Storm Shadow, Alley Viper, and Cobra Commander. No points for guessing the two I got. My thinks are that since, in two days, I've seen three Cobra Commanders (two at WM's insane $10 price), he's going to be rare, but not excessively so.

Grabbed some more clearance doodads, too, like another Snake Eyes ripcord motorcycle and another Strato-Viper with the big honkin' jetpack.

And I saw the mechs at one Target. They look very nice. Just not GIJoe. That said, I'll probably eventually get the Cobra one. I can see them coming up with something crazy like that.